Trolley-pole attachment.



N0. 704,749. Patented July I5, 1902.

c. P. LAPHAM. v

TRQLLEY POLE ATTACHMENT.

(Application filed Feb. 7, 1902.)

'(No Modei.)

. v V J UNITED STATES '1 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. LAPHAM, HOUGHTON, NEW YORK.

TRO LLEY-PO LE ATTACHM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,74?, dated July 15, 1 902.

Application filed February 7,1902. Serial n. 93,034. mimosa.)

Trolley-Pole Attachment, of which the fol-;

lowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in' trolley-pole attachments.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of trolleys for electric cars,more especiallythe manner of mounting the trolley-wheel, andto provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device of this character in which the trolley-wheel will be permitted a limited lateral play to permit the same to adjust itself automatically and pass freely around the angles in a trolley-wire over a curved portion of the track without running off the trolley-wire.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automaticallyadjustable trolleywheel which will be normally retained in alinement with the trolley-wire and which will be prevented from' being deflected 'by switchplates. I

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended.

.In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a trolley-pole attachment constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, the upper'plate of the trolleywheel-receiving frame or holder being removed to illustrate the arrangement of the.

oscillatory bearing blocks or segments. Fig.

3 is a transverse sectional view. Figmt is a detail sectional viewillustratingthe manner of mounting the spring on the shank of the frame or holder.

Like numerals of reference'designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a trolley-Wheel-receivin g frame or holder, having a shank 2 adapted to'be secured to or form a part of a trolley-pole and provided with' a longitudinal opening 3 for the reception of a trolley-wheel 4:. The frame or holder 1 has its sides 5 curved outward between the end portions to provide bearingfaces and to form bearing-recesses for oscillatory bearing blocks or segments 6, which are retained in the frame or holder by upper and lower plates 7 and 8, secured to the said frame or holder by suitable fastening devices 9 and forming, with the said frame or holder, a casing for supporting the oscillatory bearing blocks or segments 6. The end portions of the opening of the frame or holder, beyond the bearing-recesses formed by the curved sides, are flared outwardly, and the upper. and lower plates 7 and 8, which are provided with longitudinal openings 10 and 11, have the end portions thereof oppositely flared to conform to the configuration of the flared portions of the opening of the frame or holder and to permit the necessary lateral play or vibration of the trolley-wheel. The

trolley-wheel is provided at opposite sides with journals 12, which are arranged in suit able bearings 13, consisting of sockets located at the centers of the inner faces ofthe'bearing blocks or segments. The inner longitudinally disposed faces 13 of A the bearing blocks or segments have central straight portions which fit against the central or hub por-' tions of the trolley-wheel, and the outer portions of the inner faces 13 are cut away to clear the trolley-wheel, and thereby reduce the friction to a minimum. The trolleywheel, which is adapted to rotate freely on the journals or in the bearings for the journals, is capable of a limited lateral vibration to enable it to adjust itself automatically, whereby it is'adapted to follow a trolley-wire around the angles over a curved portion of the track without liability of running off the said trolley-wire.

The trolley-wheel is maintained normally in alinement with the trolley-wire by means of alongitndinal spring 14, having anenlarged tapered head l5 and provided with an enlarged rear portion or inner end 16, which is secured by a suitable fastening device 17 to the shank of the frame or holder' and which is held against lateral movement by a projection l8,extending into a socket of the spring. The tapered header engaging portion 15 extends between the sides of the groove of the trolley-wheel, and the intermediate portion of the spring is reduced and is sufficiently resilient to permit the trolley-wheel to spring laterally and adjust itself automatically to the trolley-wire, and thereby follow the same around a curve in the track and over the angles of the trolley-wire without running ed the latter. The spring is shown applied to the shank at the top of the same; but it may be mounted with equal facilityat the bottom of the device.

What I claim is-- 1. A device of the class described comprising a frame or holder having an opening enlarged at the sides to form bearing-recesses and flared at the ends, upper and lower plates secured to the top and bottom of the frame or holder and provided with openings flared at the ends to conform to the configuration of the adjacent portions of the said opening,

bearing-blocks arranged in the said recesses and located between the upper and lower plates, said bearing-blocks being capable of a limited oscillation, and a trolley-wheel arranged between and mounted on the blocks, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a frame or holder having an opening onlarged at its sides to form bearing-recesses and flared at its ends, upper and lower plates arranged at the top and bottom of the frame or holder and cooperating with the same to form a casing and having longitudinal openings flared at the ends, bearing blocks or segments arranged in the said recesses between the upper and lower plates and provided at their inner faces with bearing-sockets, and a trolley-wheel provided at opposite sides with journals arranged in the said sockets and carried by the bearing blocks or segments, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a frame or holder having an opening enlarged at opposite sides to form bearing-recesses, upper and lower plates mounted on the frame or holder and covering the recesses, bearing blocks or segments mounted in the recesses of the frame or holder and provided at their inner faces with bearing-sockets, and a trolley-wheel provided at opposite sides with journals fitting in the said bearing-sockets, substantially as described.

4:. A device of the class described comprising a frame or holder, a grooved trolley-wheel mounted thereon and capable of a limited 0scillatory movement, and a spring having a reduced intermediate portion and provided with a tapered head extending into the groove of the trolley-wheel and adapted to hold the latter normallyin alinement with the trolleywheel, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES P. LAPHAM.

WVitnesses:

JOHN A. HowLETT, W. ROBBINS. 

